In an epic come-from-behind-victory, Nixa baseball defeated Blue Springs 5-4 in the state quarterfinals on May 27 and secured its first final-four appearance in almost 50 years.

Recap the entire game here.

View the final out and celebration here.

View game photos here.

The victory advances Nixa to the Class 6 state semifinals, and the Eagles will take on the defending champions Liberty North on June 2 at 7 p.m. 

The game will be held at US Ballpark Sky Bacon Stadium (4400 N. 19th St., Ozark, MO, 65721) in Ozark, Mo.

Admission to the game is $10 and must be purchased online here or at the below link.

Nixa enters the semifinal matchup on a 9-game winning streak with a record of 32-6, while Liberty North enters at 32-7 on a five-game winning streak, who shutout Rockhurst 2-0 in its quarterfinal game and defeated North Kansas City (12-0), Oak Park (2-0), and Staley (2-0) in its district tournament. 

The previous matchup a year ago saw Liberty North defeat Nixa 11-1 and this regular season, the two did not face off but have familiar foes on their schedule. Both defeated Rockhurst, Blue Springs, Republic, and Kickapoo. Liberty North fell to Glendale 2-0 and Lee's Summit 3-2, while Nixa defeated the Falcons 6-5 and Tigers 6-2. Nixa fell to Fayetteville 7-1, while Liberty North squeaked by the Bulldogs 4-3.

Entering the semifinal contest, both offenses are fairly equal, but pitching and defense favor Liberty North slightly. Nixa averages over seven runs a game (7.4), while Liberty North averages seven. On the other end, Nixa has surrendered nearly three runs a competition (3.1) to Liberty North's roughly two a game (2.3).

Nixa last appeared in the final four in 1974, and the Eagles defeated John Burroughs 6-3 in the semifinals and fell to Pembroke Hill 1-0 in the Class A title game. Sophomores Colin Kelley and Jackson Gamble and senior Ethan Taylor have been Nixa's aces all year and notched at least three wins during the regular season with ERAs lower than three as well. The trio appeared on the mound vs. Blue Springs, helping advance Nixa to the final four. Seniors Rylan Evans and Brayton Tangora have also provided great support out of the bullpen. Offensively, Nixa has received great contributions up and down the lineup all season, led by the big bats in slots 1-6 and features sophomore Missouri State commit, Wyatt Vincent, junior Rylan Michel, sophomore Caeden Cloud, junior Jack Edwards, and seniors Reese Dirnberger and Tanner Grant. All have tallied over 30 hits and 20 RBIs with averages above .300.

Liberty North is no stranger to the final four, as the program is making its second-consecutive appearance and crowned the 2022 title with a 4-3 extra-inning win vs. Francis Howell in the semifinals and an 11-5 victory over Blue Springs South in the championship game. Three players are signed to the division one level Tate McGuire (Arkansas), Jackson Downing (Arkansas State), and Ty Wisdom (Kansas). All three were members of last year's team and McGuire was the winning pitcher in the title game. Both McGuire and Wisdom were named Pre-Season High School All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Juniors Trey Synder (Tennessee) and Bo Jonas (Oklahoma) are also committed at the DI levels.

The other semifinal entails 2022 state runner-up Francis Howell and Jackson. In their quarterfinal games, Francis Howell coasted to an 8-1 win over De Smet and Jackson defeated Lafayette (Wildwood) 5-1.

The 2023 championship game is set for Saturday, June 3, at 7 p.m., with the third-place game on the same day at 4 p.m.

Click here for the Class 6 state tournament bracket.

Nixa's semifinal game will be live broadcasted on MSHSAA.tv for $15 here or at the below link. 

An audio-only cast with a live scoreboard for free can be viewed on the Nixa Public Schools YouTube page (@nixapublicschools) here or at the below link.

Any additional information regarding the state baseball championships can be found here or at the below link.

Important State Information Links:
Class 6 State Tournament Bracket
Admission ($10)
MSHSAA Baseball Championships Fan Guidelines/Expectations
Live Broadcast ($15)
Live Audio-Only Cast
MSHSAA Class 6 State Baseball Championships Website